Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center 2019-20

Executive Summary id="executive-summary"

About the Bergstrom Center

The Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center is greatly admired among industry leaders as a hub of information and a resource for all things commercial real estate. The Center’s ability to provide opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders has produced a legacy of outstanding talent and powerful connections. The program’s world-renowned faculty, industry-leading research, rigorous curriculum and connection to the Center makes the MSRE program one of the best in the county.

The Center was named after Kelley A. Bergstrom, Chairman, Bergstrom Investment Management, in 2006, after Mr. Bergstrom created an endowment to support the Center for years to come.

From the Executive Director

I suspect your COVID-19 experience is much like mine: We are so intensely involved in compensating for its effects that we think of little else. Today, I lost track of which day it is and tried desperately to Zoom tomorrow’s Faculty Senate meeting. So, are we winning the challenge of Covid-19? In a surprising number of ways, yes!

Here are some points that the Bergstrom Center advisory board and the real estate program have scored against COVID-19:

  • Despite the economic situation, 91 percent of our 2020 MSRE graduates now have jobs.
  • Dr. Bill Hughes joined us in July as the Director of Applied Research and already has had a marked effect on our capabilities, our plans and our students.
  • The outreach of our advisory board and alumni to our students has been incredible. We have long bragged about their engagement, but they are hitting home runs left and right with Zoom sessions and hosting field trips for MSREs. Since March, over 30 board members and MSRE alumni have given a Zoom presentation on their work and role in the industry, or on other matters important to our students. Many appeared two times! They have averaged superb!
  • Our MSRE enrollment has mushroomed from 35 to 50, and the total number of active MSRE students has reached 66 while many other graduate programs have shrunk! This growth reflects the growing reputation of our program and great recruiting efforts, especially by Associate Director of Admissions and Student Services, Courtney Mack, but also by the entire Bergstrom team.
  • In the face of COVID-19 limitations we have found new ways to teach that are so beneficial that they are becoming the standard, and will remain after COVID is gone. An example is the Master Class created by Assistant Director, Nikki Wagner, and Director Tim Becker that, alone, brought 17 advisory board members to engage with our incoming MSREs.

In short, none of us would wish what is on us today. But it is not getting the best of us, and we have hope that once we are out of this shadowy passage, our students will be able to look back and believe that we accomplished what was needed for them to have a great future.

Best,

Dr. Wayne Archer,
William D. Hussey Professor
Executive Director, Bergstrom Center

Dr. Wayne Archer teaching class

Faculty & Staff id="faculty-staff"

Creating the Industry Standard

The Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center is home to some of the most respected minds in commercial real estate.

Faculty and staff posing with NFL legend Emmitt Smith at the Trends Conference
Wayne Archer
Executive Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center
Wayne R. Archer
William D. Hussey Professor
David Ling
Director, Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate
David Curtis Ling
Ken and Linda McGurn Professor
Tim Becker
Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center
Timothy Stewart Becker
Nikki Wagner
Assistant Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center
Nikki G. Wagner
Bill Hughes
Research Director, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center
Bill Hughes
Courtney Mack
Associate Director, Academic Advisor III, Kelley A. Bergstrom Real Estate Center
Courtney K. Mack

View all published papers by Bergstrom faculty

Student Achievements id="student-achievements"

Ready for Impact

Whether learning in the classroom or visiting real estate companies around the world, students at the Bergstrom Center come face-to-face with pressing issue in today’s commercial real estate industry. This ensures that we are producing immediately impactful employees after graduation.

A group of MSRE students on a study abroad trip
610

Average GMAT

304

Average GRE

3.53

Average GPA

91%

Placement

Real Estate Education at UF

Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate

The traditional MSRE program is a 10-month, 34-credit, in-residence program that is focused on commercial real estate, led by two of the most recognized names in real estate education and research—Professors Wayne Archer and David Ling.

Joint J.D./MSRE

This unique program allows students to complete both the Juris Doctor and MSRE degrees in three years by double-counting some credits from each degree toward the other degree’s elective credits.

Combination Bachelor/MSRE program

Combination degree students are highly qualified and motivated, have earned significant college credits in high school, and want the added challenge of taking MSRE coursework while still finishing their undergraduate degree. They apply some MSRE graduate credits toward their undergraduate degree, then complete the rest of their 34 MSRE program credits after earning their undergraduate degree.

MBA with a real estate concentration

MBA students take eight credits of real estate coursework as electives to earn the concentration.

Minor in real estate

The College offers an undergraduate and graduate real estate minor, giving students exposure to diverse topics in real estate.

Courtney Mack

Academic Questions?

Courtney Mack
Director of Admissions and Student Services
Nathan S. Collier MSRE program
352-273-0310 or email Courtney

Industry Involvement id="industry-involvement"

Learning from the Best

Students at the Bergstrom Center are constantly around important players in the commercial real estate industry. Whether learning from a guest speaker on campus or networking with companies at our annual Trends & Strategies Conference, students are consistently spending time around industry leaders.

Guest speaker

Trends Conference Committee

Thank you to the Trends Conference committee. Their dedication and organization played an integral role in the conference.

Chair:
Ernest Johnson
ApexOne Investment Partners

Sponsorship chair:
Jerry P Gisclair
Colliers International Valuation & Advisory Services

Steve Messing
The Ferber Company

Robert Klein

Sandy G. Hostetter
Truist

Don Ginsburg
Katalyst Real Estate & Development

Elise Batsel
Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler

Donors id="donors"

Leading the Way

The Bergstrom Center’s Advisory Board works to advance the quality and visibility of the university’s real estate degree programs.

Advisory Board members speaking on a panel at Trends Conference

Chairman Circle

The Bergstrom Center’s Chairman Circle donors give at one of the highest levels. We thank them for their leadership.

Advisory Board

Thank you to all of the advisory board members for everything they do to support the Center and program!